Hot surface igniters have become increasingly popular as a means for lighting gas appliances with a subsequent demand for suitable control mechanisms for them. Many controllers have been developed, but they suffer from a range of problems. To achieve the required functionality complicated circuits have been developed, typically based around microcontrollers. Such circuits are expensive to produce and unreliable in operation due to the environmentally challenging and electrically noisy environments in which they must operate. Such circuits often have difficulty in detecting flame loss and have a flame restoration time greater than the 4 seconds required to meet the appropriate standards.
The object of this invention is to provide a re-ignition controller that alleviates the above problems, or at least provides the public with a useful alternative.